The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 02, No. 09, July, 1858: A Magazine of Literature, Art, and Politics

In Short

This issue of an influential nineteenth-century monthly magazine gathers essays, fiction, travel memoirs, and cultural criticism to examine a society rapidly transforming its values. Readers encounter theological shifts through early Christian Roman epitaphs, dramatic episodes from French history, and vivid portraits of the South American pampas. Alongside these broader studies run serialized fiction of local tensions, personal reflections on American speech and music, and sharp commentary on contemporary politics and literature. It endures as an authentic window into the mid-nineteenth-century American mind, balancing intellectual rigor with intimate, observational prose.

The Story

The volume opens with an investigation into the underground burial sites of early Rome. Examining ancient stone epitaphs in the Vatican, the author traces how early Christian inscriptions, though crude in execution compared to heathen monuments, reveal a gradual evolution in doctrine—progressing from simple prayers for the deceased's peace to appeals directed to the dead themselves.

From the subterranean past, the focus shifts to domestic life. A narrator reflects on a serene year spent beside Josephine, a woman whose practical wisdom, common sense, and open-hearted charity render her indispensable to her neighbors. This quiet baseline is interrupted by the arrival of Mr. Waring, who plans to construct a stone mill on an island in the middle of a turbulent river.

Maritime life brings another change of scene, taking the reader aboard a merchant vessel to observe the working songs of sailors. Through rhythmic sea-shanties like the bowline and pumping songs, the narrative captures how seamen use music not for its literal sense, but for the physical momentum required to tame the winds and haul the lines.

Social tension deepens in a local village when Mrs. Kinloch demands that lawyer Mr. Clamp legally pursue Mark Davenport, a young schoolteacher, over outstanding debts. Mrs. Kinloch seeks to humble the young man's pride and thwart his affection for her relative Mildred. When Mark returns home, he confronts the mild-mannered yet calculating Mr. Clamp at his uncle's house, bitterly rejecting the lawyer's attempt to smooth over the injury.

The perspective expands to international landscapes. Readers are swept onto the Argentine pampas to witness a Gaucho pursue wild cattle, throwing a lasso at full gallop to bring down a bull. This vivid portrait of the Pampa horseman leads into the history of Facundo Quiroga, a ruthless warlord who rose to absolute power through impulse, cunning, and military force. Across the ocean, historical narrative turns to seventeenth-century France, detailing how Mademoiselle, daughter of the Duke of Orléans, commanded the Bastille's cannon during the Wars of the Fronde to save Condé’s retreating army from royal forces.

Returning to American social life, a grand gathering hosted by Honoria brings together an elite array of artists, politicians, and social figures within a magnificent home. Amidst the grandeur, the host's adviser, Dalton, suffers a blow when a foreign prince exposes a prized painting in the collection as a copy.

The narrative shifts to the Northern wilderness, tracking a journey through Maine's forests. The traveler observes the immense scale of the moose and notes the rough, fort-like frontier homes of the settlers. Finally, the volume turns to table-talk reflections on human voices and national character, alongside a sharp political critique warning against false compromises on slavery, before concluding with a review of a contemporary encyclopedia.

How It Unfolds

The stones of early Rome An examination of Vatican inscriptions shows the stark contrast between polished heathen marble and crude early Christian epitaphs. The text illustrates how early prayers for the dead gradually evolved into doctrines of intercession.

Life along the river A narrator describes a year of quiet harmony spent alongside Josephine, whose practical charity serves the local poor. The arrival of Mr. Waring and his plan to build a mill on the river island introduces new activity to the town.

Chants upon the deck An observer details the functional power of sea-shanties aboard a merchant ship. Rhythmic songs like the bowline haul and pumping tunes allow sailors to combine their strength against the force of the wind.

Conflicts in the parlor Mrs. Kinloch instructs a shrewd lawyer to press legal claims against Mark Davenport to check his social ambitions. When Mark confronts the lawyer in his uncle's home, sharp words reveal the deep personal and spiritual rifts in the community.

Riders of the pampas A dramatic scene introduces the Gaucho of the Argentine plains, felling a bull with a lasso at high speed. The narrative details the rise of the warlord Quiroga, who seized regional power through sudden, violent impulses.

The cannon of the Bastille During the Wars of the Fronde, Mademoiselle takes command in Paris to rescue the wounded army of Condé. She orders the fortress guns fired upon the royal troops, securing a decisive victory at the expense of her marital prospects.

A night of art and rivalry An elite gathering in a lavishly decorated mansion becomes a battleground of social standing. A foreign prince exposes a copy hidden beneath an ancient canvas, leaving the host's advisor to ponder his fading influence.

Encounters in the wilderness A traveler records measurements and details of the North American moose while visiting frontier outposts. The lonely log dwellings of the settlers are likened to historic forts sustaining a long winter siege.

Voices and convictions Conversational commentary contrasts the harsh, commercial cadence of American speech with softer European voices heard in past travels. A concluding political critique rejects soft compromise, asserting that true moral progress requires unwavering adherence to principle.

The People

Josephine A woman of deep religious faith, practical capacity, and open-hearted sympathy. She acts as a steadfast friend to the sick and needy in her community, maintaining peace through patience rather than seeking to correct the flaws of those around her.

Mrs. Kinloch A decisive and stern woman determined to protect her financial interests and preserve social boundaries. She seeks to enforce legal demands against Mark Davenport to humble his perceived arrogance and prevent a match with her relative Mildred.

Mr. Clamp A small-town lawyer who hides his financial opportunism behind a veneer of pious commonplaces and church decorum. He attempts to maintain smooth relationships with all parties while securing his fees and serving Mrs. Kinloch's interests.

Mark Davenport A proud, quick-tempered young schoolteacher raised in a blacksmith's shop. He bitterly resists the attempts of Mrs. Kinloch and Mr. Clamp to ruin his reputation, choosing open confrontation over hypocritical reconciliation.

Facundo Quiroga An uneducated, highly impulsive Argentine warlord who rises to absolute authority over multiple provinces. Governed by raw passion rather than calculated plans, his career reflects the chaotic political forces of his era.

Mademoiselle (Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans) A daring French princess who assumes command in Paris during the civil conflicts of the Fronde. Her bold decision to fire the Bastille's cannon saves Condé's army, though it permanently alienates her from the royal court.

Dalton An refined cultural arbiter who meticulously crafts elite social gatherings and guides the taste of his wealthy companion, Honoria. He is left shaken when an arrogant foreign rival undermines his authority by exposing a flawed painting in their collection.

In Its Own Voice

"Rome is preëminently the city of monuments and inscriptions, and the lapidary style is the one most familiar to her."

The opening study of Roman catacombs grounds its authority in the physical landscape of the city, where centuries of competing faiths have carved their history directly into marble.

"The wind may whistle, but it cannot sing. The sailor does not whistle, on shipboard at least, but does sing."

This reflection on maritime life illustrates how human rhythm and structured vocal work allow seamen to overcome the raw elements of nature.

"Peace is an excellent thing, but principle and pluck are better; and the man who sacrifices them to gain it finds at last that he has crouched under the Caudine yoke to purchase only a contemptuous toleration..."

The political voice of the collection speaks with uncompromising moral clarity, rejecting easy social or political compromises that sacrifice core convictions.

What It's Really About

The collection investigates how societies and individuals define their values when forced to choose between outer convenience and inner conviction. Through historical studies of early Christian epitaphs, the text demonstrates how faith gradually shifts its forms over centuries of human experience. In its domestic and regional sketches, the narrative explores the friction between humble origins and elite ambitions, exposing the hypocrisy that often lurks behind polite religion and legal formality. On a broader political canvas, whether examining European civil wars or contemporary American disputes, the collection argues that lasting peace cannot be purchased through passive compromise, but requires an unwavering adherence to moral principle and individual integrity.

Why Read It Today

This volume offers a compelling experience for readers who enjoy nineteenth-century intellectual history, cultural criticism, and period literature. Reading it feels like sitting in a well-curated salon where travel, history, music, and politics cross paths in rapid succession. The prose moves fluidly from fine technical observations of forest wildlife to dramatic recreations of French battlefields and sharp moral essays.

Modern readers must navigate certain period difficulties, including untranslated Latin and French phrases, detailed local historical references, and the dense, ornate sentence structures typical of mid-nineteenth-century publishing. The political and social commentary reflects the intense debates of its era, demanding some familiarity with pre-Civil War American discourse.

What stays with the reader is the volume's remarkable breadth and precision. The writers observe the world with keen curiosity, whether recording the exact measurements of a moose's hoof, capturing the cadence of a sea-shanty, or analyzing the subtle evolution of religious thought carved into ancient stone. It remains a rich, thought-provoking snapshot of a culture actively defining its mind and voice.